Can you keep chickens in Borough of Closter, NJ?
No. A 2006 ordinance bans raising or keeping any poultry in Closter, with an exception only for people already licensed before it took effect.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | No |
| Hens | Not permitted |
| Roosters | Prohibited |
| Permit | Not available (chickens are banned) |
| Coop setback | Not applicable, since poultry may not be kept |
| Lot size | Not specified |
Good to know
- The ban names ducks, chickens, swans, geese, turkey, guinea fowl, pheasants, pea fowl and pigeons, for commercial and noncommercial purposes alike.
- Only people licensed on or before the 2006 effective date were grandfathered.
- The older poultry section is still printed in the code, with a $20 annual Health Officer permit, a 20-bird cap and a 25-foot distance rule.
- Those older rules now apply only to the grandfathered keepers, not to new coops.
Source: Borough of Closter Code (eCode360), § 250-28.1, General poultry prohibition and exception (view the ordinance)
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district; always confirm the current rules with the Borough of Closter clerk or zoning office before you build.
Chicken rules in nearby Bergen County towns
AllendaleBergenfieldBogotaCarlstadtCliffside ParkCresskillDemarestDumontEast RutherfordEdgewaterElmwood ParkEmersonEnglewoodEnglewood CliffsFair LawnFairviewFort LeeFranklin LakesGarfieldGlen RockHackensackHasbrouck HeightsHillsdaleLeoniaLittle FerryLodiLyndhurstMahwahMaywoodMidland ParkMontvaleNew MilfordNorth ArlingtonNorwoodOaklandOld TappanOradellPalisades ParkParamusPark RidgeRamseyRidgefieldRidgefield ParkRidgewoodRiver EdgeRiver ValeRochelle ParkRutherfordSaddle BrookSaddle RiverTeaneckTenaflyUpper Saddle RiverWaldwickWallingtonWashingtonWestwoodWood-RidgeWoodcliff LakeWyckoff
We build across Bergen County
Borough of Closterdoesn't allow backyard chickens today, but ordinances change, and we build custom sheds and animal structures on-site throughout BergenCounty and all of New Jersey. If a coop is in your plans, we can help you sort out where it's allowed nearby.
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Tell us about your animals and your land. We'll design a coop built to last, on-site, just for you.